


Angelguard

by hipsterscribbles



Series: Angelguard [4]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Action, Angst, F/M, Insomnia Falls, Romance, Slight Canon Divergence, Violence, because inconsistencies between anime movie and game lol
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-17
Updated: 2017-07-06
Packaged: 2018-11-01 16:46:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 13,958
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10925922
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hipsterscribbles/pseuds/hipsterscribbles
Summary: Jaszmin Felinus is involuntarily thrown into a whole new world after the Imperials release all hell on the city of Insomnia. After escaping the chaos and carnage in the fallen crown city, Jasz and what remains of the Crownsguard must do what they can to protect the citizens of Lucis, as ordained by their fallen king. As she adjusts to the world outside of the wall, she quickly realizes that the Empire isn't the only thing she has to worry about.A retelling of the events of Final Fantasy XV from the perspective of a female OC.





	1. Prologue: Parting Ways

There was a sort of excitement in the air at the Citadel, everyone could feel it. There was also something else that no one really wanted to put a name to, something that erred on the side of sadness and foreboding. Maybe even anticipation. I sighed as I made my way down the halls, not knowing exactly where to go now that I’d received my orders. The Crownsguard were moved to external patrol during the whole mess with the treaty, the Kingsglaive were to guard the Citadel and the King. And even then only a few were to strictly be on duty. I huffed and grumpily stomped along until I was outside the training hall. I fully understood why the sudden change was needed, the Glaives were basically the king’s personal army, after all, trained to fight on the front lines and fully able to handle things if the treaty went south. But that didn’t mean I had to like it.

I was debating with myself whether it would be a good idea to go back in and plead with Cor to at least put me on duty when I heard loud and familiar laughter coming from behind me. “I thought I heard a choking behemoth somewhere, guess it was just you, Glads.” I grinned and sauntered over to where Gladio and Prompto had just exited the training hall. Internally I had to wonder at myself, at my sudden mood change and how I felt 10 times better than just seconds ago. “Heya Prompto, all set?” Gladio just laughed again and Prompto looked embarrassed, something not unusual for him whenever I was around. The kid was hopeless around women.

“H-hiya, Jasz! Yup, all’s good on this end. I got my new fatigues, see?”

I couldn’t help but smile endearingly at him as I looked over his new Crownsguard uniform. He was just so adorable and he had this aura around him that was like literal rays of sunshine. Shame, he’d probably get all the ladies if he only knew how to talk to them. I held back a sigh as I mentally vowed to give him some pointers sometime, or at least have Gladio do it. “Nice! You made use of those leftover patches.” I lightly fingered the patches on his vest, recognizing them from the time he talked me into customizing the military style jacket of my own Crownsguard fatigues. I had to rein him in or else he would’ve covered the whole thing in vintage signs, skulls, and cartoon characters. Prompto could only nod enthusiastically as a hint of pink slowly crept into his cheeks. That made Gladio laugh even more. _Oh boy, what am I gonna do with this kid?_

I stepped away from him in favor of moving over to Gladio and mock punching him in the arm. “And you? All packed and ready?” I had to work to keep my light-hearted tone as I looked up at him. He would be leaving with Noctis, Iggy, and Prompto tomorrow and I wasn’t even sure when I would see him again. I wasn’t sure when I would see _any_ of them, for that matter. Noctis would come back a married man, which meant things would probably change. I had to remind myself that this is what I was preparing for. If I’d gotten more involved with Gladio this would be so much more painful. It was plenty painful as it is. I was brought out of my thoughts as Gladio draped an arm over my shoulders and gave me a gentle squeeze. He understood. Of course he did.

“Just about. Got a few more things to pack up.”

I nodded and slipped my arm around his waist, something I probably shouldn’t have done because we definitely looked like a couple then. But I couldn’t help it, if I had to do without him for an undetermined amount of time then I was gonna forego being good just this once. I caught Prompto eyeing us curiously out of the corner of my eye and almost reconsidered my actions.

“You two should really just date and get it over with.”

Oddly enough it sounded like he didn’t actually mean to say it out loud, like he was thinking it and the words just slipped out on their own. As I always did whenever this subject came up, I laughed and shook my head, surprised to see Gladio do the same although his reaction had a different meaning than mine.

“Been trying to tell her that for years. She’s too stubborn for her own good.”

I scowled and lightly smacked his chest, that earned another laugh from him. He was in such high spirits, excited for the trip and the chance to explore the open world, and it made my heart hurt even more. _He’s not yours, Jasz, let him have his fun. It’s what you’ve always wanted._ I had to silently scold myself to bring my mood back. “Alright, alright. So where are you guys headed now?” I tried my best to change the subject, looking from Gladio and settling my gaze on Prompto.

“Home to see my parents. Maybe. Probably.”

It was so sad, the way he was so uncertain on whether he’d see his parents before leaving. I didn’t understand it at all. Their only son was headed out beyond the wall into a world that neither he nor they knew much about. They didn’t know how long he would be gone or if he’d even come back, shouldn’t they be there to dote on him and give him their support? Shouldn’t they be there to make sure he was all set and to tell him to make it back to them in one piece? I shook my head and offered him a sad smile, unable to help thinking that I really lucked out with being taken in by people who actually cared about my well-being. Even if they weren’t my actual parents, even if they were busy most of the time, they still took the time to be there for me when I needed them. I would have to thank Uncle Weskham one of these days. I moved my gaze up to Gladio and I could tell he was thinking the same as I was.

“Gotta get the rest of my stuff, then it’s dinner with the family.”

I raised a brow at that. “Wow, that’s rare, huh?” He chuckled and nodded at my question. Since his dad was the king’s shield and a council member it was a given that he’d spent more time at the Citadel than at home with his kids. And Glads was the prince’s shield so it was pretty much a “like father, like son” thing. Truth be told, we all spent most of our time at the Citadel. Until recently, that is. The Crownsguard had practically been kicked out, at least until the peace treaty is signed. I took a few deep breaths and reminded myself that it was the King’s orders and that it was a rational decision, King Regis didn’t do things without reason. Gladio raised an eyebrow as he read the sudden changes in my mood but didn’t question it. Not yet, anyway.

“After packing and dinner we all have to head to Noct’s to help clean up and clear out.”

“Mhm! He’s gonna be a married old man when we get back, so no need for the bachelor pad anymore.”

Prompto nodded and walked a bit ahead of us, turning to walk backwards and talk at the same time. I chuckled at him and wondered how long it would take for him to plow into someone while walking like that. “Why didn’t you ask if you could have it? I bet a bachelor pad would be great for you, bring all the ladies in. Or men, whatever floats your boat.” I laughed as I watched Prompto turn bright red at that with Gladio chuckling along. If I didn’t know any better I’d think he was actually thinking seriously about it.

“Ha. Ha. Like I could afford that.”

I simply shrugged, my mind running over the expenses of my own apartment and thanking whichever gods were listening that being in the Crownsguard paid well. And even then, I had wealthy keepers here who still treated me as their daughter even though I’m well into adulthood. “Who knows, maybe when you get back you’ll have enough knowledge to strike it rich. I bet Noct wouldn’t mind holding it for you.” Again he looked like he was seriously considering it. After a moment he shook his head and smiled, finally turning to face forward again.

“Nah. I’d rather get my own digs. That place is too fancy for me, anyways.”

I wanted to insist that he at least try but kept it to myself, Prompto was his own man with his own style, after all. After a few more minutes of chatting about future endeavors, or lack thereof, Gladio and I had to part ways with Prompto. I’d wanted to hug him since this would probably be my last time seeing him in a while but thought better of it. He probably would have ended up a blushing mess all the way home. After saying my goodbyes and promising to meet up when he returned to the city, we watched Prompto head off towards his home.

“Gonna keep me company for a while?”

I smiled up at Gladio and slid from under his arm. Before he could question me, I hopped up onto his back for a piggy-back ride. “Hmm, my time is pretty valuable but I guess I can spare some for you.” I teased. He chuckled as I draped my arms over his shoulders and secured my legs around his waist. I felt him slip his big hands under my thighs for support and took notice of the way he gave them a gentle squeeze before starting off for his house. I’d figured since I had so little time left with him, I would throw caution to the wind and enjoy every second.

-*`o0o`*-

“So, you gonna tell me what’s on your mind?”

I looked up from where I sat perched on top of Gladio’s dresser with my legs folded underneath myself, a mask of confusion on my face. I knew exactly what he was referring to but thought that if I played dumb then he would drop it. Not that it’s ever worked before so of course it didn’t now. He stopped in the middle of checking his things for the trip and turned to stare at me. I stared right back, doing my best to feign innocent confusion. If he was looking for a showdown then he was surely gonna get one. He folded his arms across his chest and raised an eyebrow at me but I wasn’t budging. Not yet.

“You know damn well what I mean. You look like you’re trying your damnedest not to mope. I can see you checking your moods and I wanna know why.”

I childishly stuck my tongue out at him and looked away, sighing because I knew I would give in. He knew me too well. “It’s lots of stuff. The Guard aren’t allowed at the citadel and even then some of us aren’t even on active duty. I know the king wants us to guard the citizens while the Glaives guard him and I know it’s for good reason but it just _sucks_. And then there’s you.” I sighed and looked at him then, letting the sadness seep into my features and soften my voice. “Do you know how much I’m gonna miss you?”

As usual, the warning started going off in my head, telling me how wrong this was. But I couldn’t help it and, at the moment, I didn’t care. Gladio was across the room in no time, standing in front of me and gently pushing a loose curl behind my ear. His amber eyes seemed to blaze as they bored through mine and it almost made me melt.

“You know I’m gonna miss you too, Jazzy. And anyway you act like we’ll be gone forever. It’s not like I won’t be back. And I’ll call and text when I can.”

He smiled as he held my gaze, his hands resting on the dresser on either side of my legs. His face was just inches from mine, so close that I could feel his warm breath on my skin. I sighed and shook my head, my eyes narrowing as we continued to stare at each other. “Gladiolus Amicitia if you waste one second thinking about me out there then I will find you and murder you myself. Concentrate on the task at hand and… Enjoy yourself. I mean it.” I tried my best to make it sound like I was scolding him but, honestly, the attempt sounded half-hearted, even to me. He chuckled and leaned in a bit closer, the tip of his nose now touching mine.

“Jaszmin Felinus, if you think I won’t have you on my mind at all while I’m out there then you got another thing coming. And if you’re gonna be my angel of death, well, I’d greet you with a smile and happily die by your hand.”

He chuckled as I swatted at him, the scowl returning to my face. “I’m serious, Glads. Don’t worry about me. You have a job to do and there’s way too much out there not to enjoy the experience.” I sighed and closed my eyes, leaning in to rest my forehead against his. I knew he would understand what I was getting at, it’s something I’d been telling him for years. Gladio was such a people person and a natural flirt. And of course girls flocked to him because, if you combine that with his amazing physique and pretty face, it was a killer combination. If he found someone appealing out there beyond the wall then I didn’t want him to hold himself back on my account.

“Meh, I’ll call and text on my downtime. And I promise to have the time of my life and come back to tell you all about it.”

He chuckled quietly as he moved his hands to my waist, slowly running them up and down my sides. An involuntary shudder washed through me, causing a triumphant grin to spread across his face. “Maybe don’t tell me _all_ about it…” My voice was even softer than before, my hands clenching themselves onto the front of his shirt. I felt the heat building between us and idly remembered that, with the exception of a few times, this is usually where I put things to a halt. I just couldn’t see myself doing that this time though. This would probably be the last time we’d see each other in a while, I could let go for tonight. For old time’s sake…

“Hmm. Maybe not _all_ the gory details.”

His voice was lower and huskier than usual and it dripped with desire. Just the sound of it had me unraveling, my legs unfolding themselves to wrap around his waist instead. He leaned in to press his lips against mine. Once. Twice. Slowly. Teasing. Testing. When he sensed no resistance from me, the kiss became deeper, more hungry, more demanding. I felt as if I was floating as our lips parted and our tongues began an all too familiar dance. I found that my hands had eased their way up to his hair, my fingers weaving themselves into the soft strands. I wasn’t sure how long we’d gone on like that but I needed to break away to gasp for air after what seemed like ages. His lips never left my skin, making their way up my jawline and trailing hot kisses down my neck. He was so close to driving me mad and he knew it. “You have packing to do…” My voice was barely above a whisper and laughably unconvincing as I tried in vain to input reason into this situation. Gladio only grunted and moved his hands under my thighs, pulling me more into his hard body.

“‘S all done.”

It was all he could mutter, it seemed, as his lips returned to mine, squashing any further protests I had. A soft moan escaped my lips as his large, rough hands slid their way up the front of my shirt. They stopped on my breasts, palming them and giving them a gentle squeeze. His thumbs began to rub against my quickly hardening nipples through the fabric of my bra, pulling another moan from me. I untangled my hands from his hair and moved them downwards to pull up the hem of his shirt, wanting the offending fabric out of the way of his glorious muscles. We separated just long enough to rid ourselves of our shirts and toss them aside, both of us equally unwilling to break contact with each other for too long.

I took the opportunity to lightly trail my fingers up his hard, defined abs and smooth my hands across his broad chest while my mouth went to work on his neck. I teased the sensitive skin there, kissing, licking, and biting until I pulled a deep moan from him. The sound of it heated me to the core and gave me chills at the same time. His hands were at my back, fumbling with the hooks of my bra when the sound of the front door opening and closing made us freeze. He’d left the door to his room wide open, either not guessing that things would take a turn like this or he thought we’d have a bit more time alone.

“Gladdy, we’re home! Are you ready to go?”

Iris’ cheerful voice floated up to us from downstairs. Gladio cursed under his breath as we quickly and quietly untangled ourselves. Thankfully we hadn’t gone far enough for it to have been a real problem, although one look at a particularly tight spot in Gladio’s pants made me think he would need to give himself one hell of a pep talk. Either that or wear an extra long shirt to dinner. I bit back a groan as I longingly eyed his erection, almost saying to hell with the intrusion and continuing anyway. Summoning as much will as I could, I tore my eyes away from the beautiful man in front of me and slid off of the dresser to snatch up my shirt. I threw it on and checked to make sure I was decent before picking up the nearest packed bag. With a few deep breaths I headed towards the door, turning my head to whisper over my shoulder, “I’ll try to stall. You get that under control.” He groaned at that but nodded, the look on his face made me giggle quietly as I made my way downstairs where Iris and Clarus were waiting.

“Hey, Iris. Hi, Mr. Amicitia.” I greeted them cheerfully as I placed Gladio’s bag by the door. Iris smiled and waved while Clarus nodded in greeting. I’d thought they both had a knowing look in their eyes but then I figured I was just being paranoid. I didn’t have long to worry as Gladio was making his way downstairs, arms full of his stuff for the trip.

“How’d the meeting go?”

He set down his load next to where I’d placed his bag before walking over and ruffling Iris’ hair. I chuckled as she squealed and playfully batted his hand away. Their relationship was so endearing to me, it always made me wish that I had a brother or sister. I glanced over at Clarus as he watched his children with a smile on his face, it looked almost wistful to me.

“As well as to be expected. Let’s not discuss it right now. Will you be joining us, Jaszmin?”

I wasn’t exactly surprised that he’d asked me, after all, he’d expressed many times that I was practically a part of the family, along with Iris’ enthusiastic agreement. But I didn’t really expect it tonight of all nights. “I think I’ll take a rain check. Leave family night to the family and all that.” I smiled at all three of them, grateful for the offer but not wanting to intrude. Clarus smiled and nodded in understanding at my answer. Gladio looked like he wanted to object but I knew he wouldn’t try to change my mind. Like he could, anyway. Iris skipped over and took my hands in hers.

“Aw come on, Jasz! You’re pretty much an Amicitia anyway.”

Gladio chuckled at that and I could see Clarus slightly nod out of the corner of my eye. I smiled warmly and pulled a hand from Iris’ grip to gently smooth down her short, brown strands, trying to fix the damage that Gladio had done just moments before. “Next time.” I guess my voice held enough promise in it to placate her for now. She smiled, albeit a bit sadly, and let go of my other hand. I took that as an opportunity to escape and made my way to the front door. “Enjoy your meal! And, Glads, if I don’t talk to you before you leave, have a safe trip and enjoy yourself.” I smiled as he nodded at me, a smile on his lips but a look of regret in his eyes. I found myself regretting as well, this could’ve been our last chance. He would be leaving in the morning and the last memory I would have before he returned was a near miss. I bit back a sigh and fought to keep my smile as I waved at the three Amicitias, sparing one last glance at Gladio before walking out the door.


	2. Insomnia Is Burning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The beginning of the end. Still unhappy about being taken off of guard duty during the treaty, Jasz heads to her favorite bar with hopes of drinking the day away. However, her plan soon falls apart once all hell breaks loose in the Crown City. With death and destruction all around her, she needs to concentrate on finding her loved ones and getting out of the city alive.

The light of the early morning sun slipped through a small gap in the curtains, casting a thin beam of light across the room and right onto my face. As I was slowly pulled from my sleep I squinted over at the offending source of light and rolled over, for once not wanting to get out of bed to face the day. It was kind of weird, the fact that my alarm didn’t wake me up as it usually did when I'm on duty at the Citadel. With a heavy sigh, I sat up and wiped the sleep from my eyes, frowning as I thought through the reason why I wasn’t going into work today. After a few minutes of moping I got out of bed and did my morning stretches, warming up my previously dormant limbs before shuffling over to the floor to ceiling windows in my bedroom. I pushed back the heavy curtains to peer out at what I could see of the city and sighed again. 

It was the day of the treaty, the day that King Regis would formally surrender the rest of Lucis in exchange for peace and immunity for Insomnia. My gaze raked over the picturesque Insomnian skyline, my eyes moving from building to building, to the busy streets below despite the early hour, then roamed over in the direction of where the wall should be though it couldn’t be seen from the position of my apartment. It was such a bittersweet feeling, the Crown City would be spared but everything outside of the wall would fall to the Empire. Most of the citizens were fine with the trade, it would have only been a matter of time before the Imperials found a way in to destroy us, but there were plenty who were far less than pleased with the arrangements. I couldn’t blame them but at the same time, I could see why this treaty was so necessary. It was either surrender and live to fight another day or fight until everything we had was forcibly taken. With a sad sigh, I moved from my window and headed to the bathroom to start my day.

 After an early morning jog and a long, hot shower, I checked my phone for messages. There was one from Iris asking about my plans for the day. There was also one from Nyx, a continuation of our text convo from last night but I’d fallen asleep before I could answer. I knew I shouldn’t expect anything from Gladio yet but the disappointment was still there as I saw no new messages from him. For one ridiculous moment, I got the urge to scroll through our old messages then internally scolded myself for acting like some lovesick schoolgirl. Instead, I texted Iris to let her know that I’d probably just go somewhere public to watch the ceremony, not mentioning that the somewhere in question would have nice, stiff drinks to go with the show. Then I texted Nyx, trying to liven up my quickly darkening mood. “Happy treaty day!” I found myself smiling at my phone as I quickly received an answering text.

 “A joyous occasion huh?”

 I playfully scowled at my phone as I replied, “Not at all. Can’t wait til it’s over so those bastards can get back behind the wall where they belong.” I frowned as I sent the text and threw my phone on the bed, hoping it wouldn’t come across the wrong way. Insomnia had been my home for 13 years now but technically I was from outside the wall too, as was Nyx and the rest of the Glaives. I sighed as I grabbed up my phone again and sent another text before he could answer. “Hope you know what I meant by that. Headed in to report for duty?” I sent the text then belatedly remembered to look at the time. A glance over at my clock made me guess that he was probably on his way to the Citadel at the moment. I was putting on my clothes for the day when I received his next text.

 “Yeah, I know. Getting dressed right now, headed out right after.”

 After reading the words on the screen I spared a quick glance in my full-length mirror. Despite being off duty I’d dressed in my “uniform” anyway, out of habit or maybe rebellion. Sturdy black leather pants, fitting but not too tight or restricting. Simple black shirt cropped to show off the tattoo taking up most of the right side of my torso. I paired it with my military style jacket adorned with the Crownsguard insignia and decorated with patches, compliments of Prompto. My leather gloves, a birthday gift from Iggy, were stowed away in my pockets as usual. It couldn’t hurt to always keep them on hand as they made working with my daggers much more comfortable. 

 I replied to Nyx’s text as I gathered up my essentials and left my apartment, planning to hang out with Iris until it was time for the ceremony. “Good luck. Don’t let the Nifs get ya down :)” I was well on my way to the Amicitia manor when I received his one-worded reply. Somehow I could imagine his voice as if he said it in person, it was full of determination, conviction, all hidden behind a playful smile.

 “Never.”

-*`o0o`*-

 “It’s starting, it’s starting!”

 Cheers enveloped me from all sides as I sat at a table in my favorite bar and I looked up in time to see King Regis and Emperor Aldercapt on the large screen tv above the bar. I’d only spared a brief glance before going back to my game of King’s Knight, something that Noctis and Prompto had me hooked on lately. Gladio was just as bad, and Iggy, to my surprise, usually played along. With a sigh I put down my phone and stared at my untouched drink, knowing full well that I probably shouldn’t be drinking at a time like this. _Well,_ I thought, _if I’m not of any use to anybody I might as well get drunk and sleep my way into the peace that the treaty's gonna bring._ This is what I told myself but so many years of discipline and training wouldn’t allow me to do it, even if I wasn’t on duty. Instead, I let my mind wander beyond the wall. 

 I wondered what the guys were doing and if they were having a good time exploring. Knowing Iggy he would try to keep them on track, so would Gladio to a certain extent. But I knew that he, along with Noctis and Prompto, would also try to take full advantage of being in an unfamiliar place. Iggy wouldn't keep them from having their fun as long as it was reasonable. I was smiling to myself, full on making up scenarios in my head about what adventures they would get up to when faint sounds of explosions and tremors pulled me out of my own head.

 I looked up at the television and saw that the scene had cut to the front of the Citadel, which was in utter chaos. The camera had fallen sideways but we could still see the people scattering in a panic, could hear the screaming, could see the large plumes of smoke that quickly clouded the visuals that the camera was giving us. The patrons of the bar seemed to be in as much shock as I was, we all stared at the television in complete disbelief. 

 Suddenly a thought came to me. This was the real reason we Crownsguard were put on external patrols. This is what the Marshal meant by protecting the citizens. _Had the king known this would happen all along?_ It didn’t take long for me to snap out of it, for me to kick into emergency guard mode. “Everyone out! Get to the gates! We need to get out of the city!” In hindsight I knew that was completely the wrong way to go about it but, truth be told, telling them to evacuate in an orderly fashion was so not going to work in a situation like this.

 A few people looked at me skeptically but plenty had heeded my warning. The sudden rush to exit the bar was punctuated by more explosions and what sounded like gunfire. We were far enough away from the Citadel to not be in immediate danger but we were close enough that the sounds echoed both in the air and from the television. I quickly moved around the bar helping along any stragglers who were glued to the television screens and didn’t immediately exit, flashing my Crownsguard insignia to anyone who had the mind to question me. 

 Satisfied with emptying the establishment I followed the crowd out, pulling out my phone and dialing up the Marshal. When I got no answer I dialed Iris, relief washing over me when she answered in a calm but shaky voice. “Where are you?” I raised my voice so that she could hear my question over the panic but her answer was drowned out by another explosion, this one was louder and somehow sounded more frightening than the others. I looked up in the direction of the blast and nearly dropped my phone as I saw where it was coming from.

 “The crystal!”

 Someone had screamed out what we were all observing. The whole city seemed to be at a standstill as the tower holding the crystal was rocked with more explosions. I could vaguely make out the cries of the citizens around me as we watched the protective force field over the city shatter and crumble away. We were no longer protected, the new wall was no more.

 “Jasz? Jasz! Jasz, are you there?!”

 Explosions seemed to sound off from all around us now but the sound of my name somehow broke me out of my trance. I’d still had my phone pressed to my ear and Iris was practically screaming at me. I had to choke back a sob, to blink away tears and find my voice again. “I’m here. I’m…” I paused as I glanced around me, trying to get my bearings. Compartmentalization was all a part of being a guard and it was sorely needed now. With a few deep breaths, I could feel my composure coming back to me. “I’m going to get as many civilians as I can to the south gate. Are you alright? Can you make it out?” The panic threatened to overcome me again as I thought about little Iris trapped so close to the carnage going on at the Citadel.

 “I’m with Monica and Dustin and the Hesters, we’re headed to the south gate too.”

 I sighed, briefly relieved at some good news in this chaos. “Okay I’ll meet you there--” My words were cut off by even more explosions and gunfire. I looked up to see Imperial ships drifting in over the city, something no one ever thought they would ever see. I squinted up at what looked like people falling from the ships and cursed under my breath as I quickly realized that they were magitek troopers. “Out of the city now! Go!” I tried my best to raise my voice over all the carnage while still keeping a tone of authority. When I looked at my phone I nearly panicked as I noticed that the line had gone dead but pushed the feeling away and quickly slid my phone into my pocket.

 The sounds of gunfire were getting close as I tried to help get as many panicked and confused civilians packed into cars and send them on their way to the gate. As I was closing the door to a particularly packed minivan, the sounds of ricocheting bullets had me ducking. It was so disorienting that I’d barely got out of the way as the minivan peeled off, the tires screeching in its haste. I hurriedly pulled on my gloves and summoned my daggers, my fingers closing around the hilts right as I caught sight of the first swarm of magitek troopers just a few feet away.

 Just seeing those soulless buckets of bolts heartlessly gunning down anyone in their sights lit a fire in me. I was seething, practically seeing red as I charged towards them. With practiced speed and agility, I blindsided the first metal soldier, making sure to keep to its sides and back as I sliced at its arms, torso, then finally the head. The severed pieces of the first had barely even hit the ground before I moved on to the next. I ran full speed at 2 more that were in close proximity of each other, tossing my daggers into the back of the closest one. As the sharp, ornate blades embedded themselves into the metal armor I leaped forward, my hands closing around the hilts and driving them even deeper with the use of my body weight. I’d barely registered the flying sparks and the smell of burning rubber as both I and the heap of damaged metal toppled over. 

Without stopping, or thinking, really, I used the momentum to flip myself forward and thrust the red soles of my boots into the second soldier’s chest. While it was falling, I dismissed my daggers from the back of the previous unmoving pile of scrap then quickly summoned them again, just in time to sever the metal and wires of the soldier’s neck as it hit the ground. My feet never left its chest and I felt angry enough to stomp on the glorified toy soldier until I made a good sized dent in its armor for good measure. To any onlookers I might have looked like a child having a temper tantrum but it felt too damn good for me to feel self-conscious about it.

I’d been quick enough to take 3 of them down before the rest focused on me. As I paused and took cover to catch my breath I counted them in my head, there were at least half a dozen left within range and no doubt there would be more dropping in soon. I hastily wiped at the sweat that was beginning to form on my brow and began moving again, the adrenaline pumping through my veins like never before as bullets whizzed past me. There were two more troopers within range and I made to rush them but a flash from the corner of my eye had me skidding to a halt and scrambling to avoid the blade of a huge, unfamiliar axe. I’d barely skirted out of the way of the weapon as it hit the ground near me, making part of the pavement split open with a resounding crack.

 Another magitek soldier had joined the fray, only this one was slightly bigger and didn’t have machine guns for arms like the others. I was forced into defense mode as I narrowly evaded the strikes of this new soldier, each swing bringing the menacing looking blade closer and closer to my body. Panic was still fighting to overwhelm me as my eyes frantically scanned the damned thing for a weakness, anything that could give me an opening. Before I could make my move, the soldier suddenly lunged at me with its axe raised above its head. It was all I could do to cross my daggers and defend myself. The clang of metal on metal was nearly deafening as the axe struck between my daggers with the blade stopping only inches from my face. _Gods why is this thing so strong?!_ My arms began to shake and a panicked yelp escaped from my lips as I struggled to keep the damned thing from slicing me in half.

 “Jaszmin!”

 The relief of hearing my name called by a familiar voice was almost overwhelming. I chanced a quick glance to my right to see Cor the Immortal charging towards me, his hand on the hilt of his Kotetsu and ready to strike. Before I knew, it the pressure of the soldier’s brute strength was gone as the Marshal severed its arms and head with two lightning quick slashes. I had to brace myself to keep from falling into a heap next to downed soldier. “Thanks… for that…” I panted as I dismissed my daggers in favor of leaning forward and resting my hands on my knees, trying not to dwell on the fact that I was seconds away from losing that fight.

 “Are you alright?”

 I smiled up at the Marshal and nodded, dismissing his concern with a wave of my hand. I only just noticed the transport vehicles that were now parked further away, with some of our fellow Crownsguard busying themselves with the remaining magitek soldiers. My already pounding heart seemed to speed up double-time as he pat me on my shoulder and ushered me to one of the awaiting vehicles.

 The sound of an airship had all our attention shooting upward and I gasped at the sheer number of ships floating in over the city. The largest one leading the flock looked particularly menacing. They were nearly overhead when suddenly one of the smaller ships was rocked with explosions from the inside. It caused a chain reaction as it veered off course and slammed into the neighboring ships. We didn’t get a chance to watch the aftermath for long as the sound of gunshots commanded our attention once again. There were more magitek troopers coming from all directions, it seemed, flooding the streets and gunning down anyone who had the audacity to fight back. Just the sight of them had my anger flaring up again. I summoned my daggers, meaning to jump back into battle, but the Marshal laid a restraining hand on my shoulder.

 I turned to assure him that I was okay to fight but he was still looking up. I followed his gaze and gasped at the chaos in the skies. The formation of ships was in complete disarray with some of them dropping out of the air like dead flies. The last of the airborne ships careened into each other and began to fall as well. It didn’t take long to realize where they would crash.

 “Get out of there! Move! Move!”

 I’d only ever heard the Marshal raise his voice once so I was a little awestruck when he practically roared at his subordinates. As loud as his voice was, it was completely drowned out as the falling ships crashed into one of the taller buildings. Without warning I was shoved into the waiting vehicle, barely realizing that it was already running. I felt myself go numb as I scrambled to the back window and pressed my face against the glass. My eyes, widened in horror, moved from the rapidly crumbling building and the falling airships to the still fighting members of the Crownsguard below. They were in the path of destruction. It was too late for them, they were already lost.

-*`o0o`*-

 Darkness settled over the city as the few remaining citizens pushed onward. Every once in awhile the sounds of shuffling feet and mournful cries were interrupted by an explosion. The destruction was well behind us now but the sounds of war still made most of us cringe. I fought hard to keep a brave face for the sake of the civilians around me but Iris had sensed my inner turmoil as soon as she saw me. She walked with her hand in mine and gave it a little squeeze every now and then. Little Talcott clung to my back, nodding off every now and then but jerking awake with the sporadic sounds of war.

 I glanced around, craning my neck in futility as I looked for the Marshal. He’d saved my life but lost many good men and women in the process. After leaving that scene we’d headed for the south gates, picking up any stragglers we found along the way. Once we got close to the gates we had to abandon the vehicle in favor of going on foot since the streets became more and more congested with cars abandoned in panic. One would have thought that the outlying areas were safe but everywhere we looked there was chaos. Destroyed buildings, magitek troopers, citizens running for their lives. I saw more death and destruction than anyone should in one lifetime and no matter where we went it just wouldn’t end. 

 The Marshal had run off as soon as we found Iris and the others. He wouldn’t tell me where he was going but I could guess. He never wanted to leave the citadel. He understood and obeyed the king’s orders, sure, but, like the rest of us, he hated it. The Marshal would go back for the king, no matter what the cost. I sighed as I adjusted Talcott on my back, earning a worried look from Jared. My mouth opened to reassure him for the hundredth time that I was okay but the sudden sounds of startled citizens cut off anything I was going to say. A new fleet of airships flew overhead, this time carrying in something terrifying.

“Daemons!”

 While some of the refugees screamed out, the rest of us just looked on in exhausted horror as Niflheim released its favorite weapon. The city of Insomnia would be torn apart by daemons and there was nothing any of us could do about it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've had this written for the longest time with no actual will to read through it and post it, sorry! I'm not completely satisfied with it and I got a bit long winded with it, I'm also not very good at writing action scenes but I got tired of sitting on it so here ya go. Enjoy!


	3. Aftermath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The morning after the chaotic events of the crown city's fall brings a sense of grief, humility, and reflection for most. But Jasz and the rest of the surviving Guard must remain strong and be pillars for the civilians at a time where it's most needed. As she sets out for Lestallum with the rest of the Insonminian refugees, she struggles with compartmentalization but stays determined to carry out her duty to her fallen king and the citizens of Lucis.

“I should have stayed. I… I should have…”  
  
“Jaszmin…”  
  
“I should have stayed… Then maybe--”  
  
“No. Nothing could be done. If you had stayed behind you would be lost with the rest of them. You helped save countless lives, do you understand?”  
  
I wanted to shake my head, to argue that I didn’t help save the life that really mattered, but as I stared into the Marshal’s stern blue eyes I thought better of it. Instead, I bit back all that had been bubbling to the surface; grief, anxiety, regret, self-pity, anger, hysteria, all that threatened to cloud over the careful composure that I’d spent half of my life building up. Instead, I nodded and tore my eyes from his penetrating gaze. After all these years I still hero-worshipped him, Cor the Immortal. My friends, what little I had back then, would tease me for having a “crush” on the Marshal but it was more than that. He was what I strived for. His strength and will, his courage, if I could just channel a fraction of what he had I would be satisfied. I honestly didn’t think I’d ever see him again after he ran off last night. But of course, I should have known better, Cor the Immortal always finds his way back. Folding my arms beneath my chest I turned to stare at nothing in particular, hoping that my vacant gaze just looked as if I were staring out of the dusty caravan window to take in our surroundings.  
  
“Jasz--”  
  
“It’s fine. I understand. We need to move forward.” I smiled over at the teenaged girl with the familiar amber eyes, hoping that I could be reassuring at a time like this. I wasn’t the only one grieving over the death of our king, especially since his death meant that our loved ones’ deaths most likely preceded it.  
  
“Did you get through to Glads?” I knew the answer before the question had even formed itself in my mind. All the Imperial ships and machinery in the air and in Insomnia must have been interrupting our signals, nothing was getting through at a time like this, not even on phones like ours.  
  
“No. Noct isn’t picking up, either.”   
  
Iris responded with downcast eyes, a hint of sadness tinting her words. I moved to kneel in front of her, taking her small hands in mine and giving them a gentle squeeze. “Hey, they’re fine. Glads wouldn’t let anything happen to them. And Iggy’s more protective than a basilisk guarding a bunch of chickatrices, right?” She smiled at that and nodded, the reminder and comparison seeming to lift her spirits just a bit. But there was still a hint of sadness in her eyes. All the news outlets had exploded with headlines about the fall of Insomnia, along with the deaths of the king, crown prince, and oracle. We didn’t believe it for a second, of course, but when you hear about something nonstop like this it could plant the seed of doubt in just about anyone’s mind. Thinking of the oracle brought someone else to the front of my mind. I gave Iris’ hands a light pat and stood to return to my spot at the window, bracing myself for the answers to the questions I’d suddenly been dying to ask.  
  
“Any word on Lady Lunafreya? What about Ulric? He was escorting her, was he not?” It was all I could do to keep the hope out of my voice. Yet and still I carried this torch for someone who my heart didn’t truly want. I was such a hopeless case. Nyx Ulric, ever since our first meeting in training he could make me react to him with little to no effort. Even though I’d come to accept what would never be, even though my very heartbeat was for another, he still got under my skin. Even now, missing in action as he was. But the fact remained; I may have had a fling with the headstrong Kingsglaive who thought himself a hero, but I’d fallen in love with the Prince’s shield a long time ago.  
  
“No word yet.”  
  
It was the Marshal who answered and this somehow made the news worse. If anyone would know, it would be him. I blinked away tears, thinking it absolutely ludicrous to start crying now. How many lives had been lost? How many had suffered at the hands of that greedy emperor and his treacherous empire? Knowing Nyx, I imagined he’d gotten Lunafreya out and probably even went back to help anyone that he could. Against my better judgment, I hoped that I would see him, and the citizens that he would undoubtedly save, in Lestallum. They would make it, they had to.  
  
I slowly nodded, turning away to glance back out the window. As if the dusty surroundings of the outpost weren’t enough to remind us of where we were, the heat had us all covered in a light sheen of sweat. If it’s this hot this early in the morning then the afternoons here must be brutal. _The sun hasn’t even been up for that long, for crying out loud!_ I went to wipe my palms on my thighs out of habit but was quickly reminded of my unfortunate ensemble. It was definitely not a good idea to wear leather pants in the desert, not that any of us had any idea we’d be here in the first place.   
  
With a sigh I turned to look for my discarded jacket, finding it tossed haphazardly on the tiny caravan bed next to Iris. I snatched it up and pat my moist hands on the soft but durable fabric, feeling slightly irritated at the inconvenience. Sweaty hands were a hazard for those of us who wielded swords, especially those who double wielded like I did. I had gloves to help with that but they were leather as well and I wanted to keep them off for as long as I could manage. Monica entered the caravan just as I was tossing my jacket back on the bed.  
  
“We’re ready, sir. You will want to put that back on, Jaszmin.”  
  
I frowned over at the black fabric before turning my attention to her, only just noticing that parts of her hair and the shoulders of her cardigan were wet. A quick glance out of the window confirmed that it’d begun to rain, though the drops were light enough not to be bothersome for now. “A little rain never hurt anybody.” I assured her with a tired smile. To say that Monica and I had become close was a reach, but I did think of her as a sort of parental figure. Or maybe more of an aunt, really. She always listened to me complain about something or another and offered sound advice without judgment, plus I loved going to her place to play with her cats. Just like an aunt she would try to steer me down the right path but was never forceful with it, though I thought she’d given up trying to lecture me a long time ago.  
  
“I seem to remember you getting sick the last time you said that. The wildlife here are dangerous and I doubt you would want to deal with them and a cold.”  
  
She looked like she was holding back a smile when she said it which in turn almost made me want to laugh. Almost. I nodded and obediently grabbed my jacket again. I’d had one arm through the sleeve when a vibrating phone had us all jumping at the sound. All except the Marshal, of course. He didn’t skip a beat as he reached into his pocket for his ringing phone.  
  
“Prince Noctis.”  
  
_Finally! Thank the Gods, the signal must be returning._ The whole caravan seemed to slip into a deathly silence. Either no one was breathing or I was so tuned in to the Marshal’s conversation that nothing else registered for me.  
  
“So, you made it.”  
  
There was only a brief pause as he waved his hand in a gesture that meant we should start moving. Monica was out the door again as I slipped my other arm into my jacket sleeve. Iris had hopped up and was staring at her phone as if willing it to ring as well. I didn’t even bother taking mine out of its spot in my pocket.  
  
“Where are you?”  
  
His tone was urgent this time as he stepped out of the caravan himself with me and Iris hot on his heels.  
  
“Makes sense.”  
  
There was a longer pause this time as the Marshal patiently listened. I’m usually not the type to listen in on someone else’s conversation but it killed me to not be able to hear what Noctis was saying. I guessed that he would probably be close to freaking out and it made my heart hurt to think of what he must be going through right now.  
  
“Listen. I’m heading out to Hammerhead. About the king… It’s true.”  
  
There was another short pause and Iris and I hung our heads, both of us imagining his reaction to that. Although we already knew the truth, hearing it again made my chest ache as much as it did the first time. Like the small break in my heart had to throb to remind me that it was still there.  
  
“If you’re looking for the whole truth, you know where to find me. Get moving.”  
  
He’d hung up after that and I desperately wanted to beg him to tell us what Noctis said. A glance over at Iris told me that she wanted to do the same, but one look at the Marshal’s grave face kept our mouths zipped. He stared out at nothing for a few seconds before turning to us.  
  
“Monica, I need you to stay at this outpost for when the prince arrives. Jaszmin, you’ll escort Iris and the Hesters to Lestallum. Dustin will accompany you.”  
  
I looked over at the Hesters standing under the shelter of the caravan, the little boy holding on to his grandfather. He looked exhausted but he didn’t look frightened. I’d always thought Talcott was brave and the way he handled this catastrophic event only strengthened that. I glanced over at Iris and smiled when she grabbed my hand. She’d always been like a little sister to me and, to my embarrassment, she had expressed multiple times how we could really be sisters if Glads and I would stop skirting around each other. “Stop being so stubborn and get it over with already!” She’d nagged at me when we were alone one day.  
  
“Once they get settled in, come back here. There will be some hunters to escort you to Meldacio where you will await further orders.”  
  
The confusion was mirrored in both my and Iris’ faces as we looked at the Marshal. “Meldacio, sir?” Surely he would want me to stay with Iris and the Hesters. And there were refugees still making their way to Lestallum, shouldn’t I be there as well?  
  
“Meldacio is a headquarters for the hunters. What is left of the Crownsguard will lend our services to them. We are still to protect the citizens of Lucis, as ordained by our fallen king.”  
  
His face was still very serious as he looked us both in the eye. First Iris, then me. I nodded and swallowed to force down the lump I felt in my throat, turning to usher Iris over to the car that was waiting for us. We would continue to serve the king no matter what the situation, it was still our duty. And once Noctis was ready to become king we would serve him just as loyally.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not much going on in this part because it was meant to be the first chapter of Angelguard, oops. I already had it written out before deciding to add the prologue and insomnia is burning and didn't really have the heart to go through it and change it. I hope it's okay!


	4. Lost & Found

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the fall of the Crown City still fresh in her mind, Jasz finds herself plagued with nightmares and grief. But she quickly realizes that she's not alone. Not only does she have Iris and the others who escaped with her, but she ends up finding a familiar face in Lestallum.

_ All around me there was death and destruction. No matter where I looked I was met with the grisly sight of bodies, bent and broken and half buried under what used to be the magnificent buildings that touched the Insomnian skies. From their metal and concrete graves they screamed, called out to me for help. I moved towards the carnage hoping to save someone, anyone, but quickly found that the scene before me had changed. Suddenly I was standing in front of the Citadel, red hot flames relentlessly licking at the once pristine facade. It was all I could do to hold in the blood-curdling scream as the full scene came into focus. In the middle of the blaze stood King Regis, silently, bravely looking on as the fire spread. My legs felt like pure lead as I tried to run towards him but determination kept me moving forward. I was almost there, he was almost within reach. The last thing I saw was his sad smile before the flames fully engulfed him. _

I jerked awake, blinking furiously as I glanced around myself. It took a moment for the sleepy disorientation to subside before I realized that it was a dream, a nightmare, a grim reminder that we couldn’t save our king. A wave of grief threatened to crash over me as I sat up in my bed and pulled my legs up, knees bent and hugged to my chest while I stared blankly, unseeing, unblinking at the bright blue walls around me. It took almost everything I had but I beat it back, not willing to let it have me just yet. I would need to be completely alone once I was finally dragged under, but right now I needed to be strong for those around me and I couldn’t do that curled up somewhere sobbing and wailing about the things I’d seen while escaping Insomnia. If I didn’t have a roommate I’d barricade the door and get it over with now. As if reminding me that I do, in fact, have someone to be strong for, Iris knocked on the door to our room.

“Jasz? Can I come in?”

I snorted and shook my head, shifting to sit on the edge of the double size bed and glancing down at myself to make sure my bathrobe hadn’t come undone in my fitful sleep. “It’s your room too, kid.” I’d hoped my tone was light enough so that it wouldn’t alarm her but she could probably tell anyway, she was much like her brother in that sense. Slowly she opened the door and poked her head in to check, I wasn’t fooling her. The look on her face almost made me lose my careful composure. “I’m fine. Come on in.” I flashed a sheepish grin and waved her in, slightly embarrassed at being caught in a weak moment. She seemed hesitant but stepped in anyway, holding up a bundle of dark, folded clothes that I’d recognized as my own.

“Laundry’s done. And we’re going to get some dinner soon, I’m sure you’re starving.”

I nodded at that and glanced out of the window at the darkening sky, thinking back to the last time I’d eaten. Dustin and Jared had tried to get us something on our drive to Lestallum but my appetite was non-existent at that point. Before that I’d only had a cup of coffee at the outpost, my appetite tucked away behind nerves and grief and the threat of hysterics. And before that I’d only had a bag of pretzels to go with my beer while I sat in my favorite pub to watch the treaty proceedings. All hell had broken loose after that. So it must’ve been over 24 hours since I had a proper meal. My stomach rumbled loudly to punctuate that last thought and I suddenly realized that I was ravenous.

While I was lost in my own mind for a moment, Iris came over and sat beside me. She’d dropped my clothes on the matching bed adjacent from mine and attempted to smooth down the frizzy mess that my damp curls were becoming. That made me laugh. “It’s no use, I’m gonna have to braid it to keep it from turning into a bird’s nest.” She laughed at the mental image and excitedly hopped up, climbing onto the bed behind me so that she could braid my hair herself. She’d loved playing in my hair since she was little and I didn’t have the heart back then to tell her that stubby little fingers and curls didn’t mix. There were plenty of times where I’d left the Amicitia house with a sore scalp and more than a few strands missing.

She’d gotten much better at handling my hair now and often took to braiding it in different styles. I closed my eyes and felt myself relax as her nimble fingers quickly but carefully worked in my dark brown strands, starting at the top and working her way down. Within minutes my hair was in its usual style, a single plait down the back of my head with a thick braid resting at my back. I murmured my thanks to her as I stood up, gathering up my clothes and frowning down at the black articles of varying materials. “I’m gonna have to find some new clothes, I’m already roasting just looking at this leather.” Iris laughed and hopped off of the bed before giving me a playful push towards the bathroom.

“We’ll find something for you later. But for now hurry up and get dressed, I can smell the food stalls from here!”

-*`o0o`*-

“So I called Noct earlier. They should be making their way here soon.”

I looked up at Iris as I stuffed my mouth with another bite of rice and curry and nodded, covering my mouth as I quickly chewed. It was my second serving of the night and I still felt like I could go for another. “Did he sound okay?” My words came out slightly muffled as I spoke before swallowing my food, gaining a disapproving look from Dustin. I finished chewing and swallowed before flashing an apologetic grin at him. I realized that our silent exchange didn’t go unnoticed as Talcott laughed at me from across the table. He laughed again as I playfully stuck my tongue out at him before turning my attention back to Iris.

“Yea, he sounded fine. I think he’s doing okay.”

She smiled and looked down as she idly picked at the corner of the outdoor diner’s red checkered tablecloth, the last remnants of her bread and soup forgotten. I couldn’t help but feel a little bad for her, poor kid had it bad for the prince and there was nothing she could do about it. There was a slight hint of pink in her cheeks when I reached over and pat her hand sympathetically but I pretended not to notice and went back to devouring the rest of my food. My mind wandered over to the prince and his guards, settling on one guard in particular. It felt like ages since I saw Gladio though it had only been days. I found myself wondering how things would have been if they hadn’t left before Insomnia fell but then I was suddenly grateful that they had.

“Jasz?!”

A deep, familiar voice had my head whipping to the side, a relieved grin spreading across my face when I immediately spotted who it belonged to. “Shon!” During all the chaos and grief I’d almost forgotten about my good friend, something that had me overflowing with guilt. I hopped up out of my chair and ignored the curious stares from my companions as I made a beeline towards him. He was standing just a few feet away from our table amongst a throng of other Insomnian refugees enjoying the Lestallum nightlife. I couldn’t help throwing my arms around him and hugging him tightly as I was ridiculously happy that he’d made it out unharmed.

“Ow... Uh hey, careful, Minnie…”

I quickly released him and looked him over, belatedly realizing that he wasn’t completely unharmed. His left arm was in a sling, though there was no cast or any telltale signs that anything was broken, and there was a good sized bruise covering his left eye. I felt so bad for him that I let it slide when he used his horrible nickname for me. For now, at least. “Sorry! Damn, nice shiner, Shon.” He grinned at that and I swear his chest swelled up just a bit. He was proud of his war wounds.

“Yea, it’s pretty gnarly, huh? I’m so glad you made it out, though! There's a rumor that most of the Crownsguard didn’t make it so I thought…”

There was a brief moment where he looked like he wanted to tear up and I had to look away to keep my own grief at bay. He shook his head, his disheveled brown hair flopping into his face before he pushed most of it behind his ears with his good hand. It’d gotten a bit longer since I last saw him, the tips fell just past his shoulders. I’d been so busy that I didn’t have time for my weekly swim, which meant I rarely saw him at the indoor pool where he worked. Most of my time was spent at the Citadel, somewhere he couldn’t freely go as a civilian. “Yea, there's only a handful of us left. I was lucky…” I sighed and returned my gaze to him, forcing a smile onto my face. “Look at you, though. What did you do, run into a pole on the way out?” My joke had him grinning but the sadness didn't leave his eyes.

“I, uh, got shot by one of those armored things. And this is from flying debris. I’m lucky it’s just a black eye. They gave me a potion but it might be a few days till I’m back to 100%.”

He’d gestured to his left shoulder then to the dark bruise surrounding his eye. I let out a low whistle and gave him a playful pat on his good shoulder. Suddenly I was bubbling with curiosity, wondering what his story was and hoping that it wasn’t filled with as much horror and chaos as mine. “So what happened? Is your family here?” I glanced around, my eyes moving from one survivor’s face to the other trying to pick out any that I recognized. When I returned my gaze to Shon he was frowning and shaking his head. I bit my lip as another wave of grief built up, both his and mine.  _ Was nobody spared from this nightmare, then? _ I sighed and grabbed his good hand with both of mine, giving it a gentle squeeze. “I’m so sorry, Shon. You don’t have to talk about it.” He closed his eyes and shook his head again, it looked like it took great effort for him to speak again.

“No, it’s fine. I… I need to talk about it. I need to get it out before it drives me nuts. Can we go someplace quiet?”

I nodded, fully understanding and wishing I could do the same. But I wouldn’t, now was not the time, for me, at least. I didn’t have the same luxuries that the civilians did, there was work to be done. Keeping his hand in one of mine I led him back to the table where Dustin and Jared pretended they weren’t watching me. Iris and Talcott eyed the both of us curiously as we approached. “Guys, this is my friend, Shon.” I’d barely gotten the words out of my mouth before recognition flashed in Iris’ eyes. She’d heard the name from me a few times and probably from her big brother after that incident at the indoor pool. I still don’t know exactly what happened between the two men… I didn’t give them time to do much chatting, only waiting until the introductions were done before I dragged Shon over to the hotel so that we could talk in private.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another not-very-eventful chapter but hey, Shon's back! (I'll be writing more about him soon but make sure to check out his cameo in the 4-part mini fic that I wrote for Gladio's birthday entitled Traditions) Anywho sorry for the slow chapters, things should pick up after this one tho. Hope you enjoyed anyway!


	5. Departure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Life goes on. No matter what happens, life will always go on.   
> The time has come for Jasz to leave the comforts of Lestallum behind. Accompanied by a handsome hunter and a surprise tag-along, she gets ready to explore the open world.

It’d taken me hours to quiet my tumultuous thoughts enough that I could drift off and now I was being awakened after what felt like only minutes. I reluctantly opened my eyes, rolling over to drowsily glare at the ringing phone that pulled me out of a dreamless sleep. With a sigh, I grabbed the offending device and glanced at the name displayed on the screen.  _The Marshal._  I quickly sat up in bed and tried to clear the sleep from my voice before answering the call. “Good morning, Marshal.” A peek over at the neighboring bed confirmed that Iris was still fast asleep. She was mostly buried under her covers and it had me wondering if maybe I’d turned the air conditioning up a little too high last night.

“Rise and shine, Jaszmin. A hunter is headed your way to escort you on your next assignment.”

The feeling of duty was sobering and gave me the push I needed to get out of bed. In the back of my mind, though, I was reveling at the humor in the Marshal’s first sentence. After all these years it never failed to amaze me that a legend like him was able to joke around like the rest of us. I moved over to my brand new shoulder bag -- packed with freshly purchased essentials courtesy of Jared and a few graciously helpful locals -- and ruffled through its contents. 

“Understood. So what’s on the agenda?” It took years for me to be able to speak comfortably to the Marshal and even then it just didn’t feel right sometimes. Gladio always teased me about it, said I sounded like a stiff. I stifled a sigh at the thought of my best friend -- and, though I was at times loath to admit it, my sometimes-y lover -- as I gathered an armful of my clothes and new toiletries. I refused to get upset about the fact that I wouldn’t be here when he and the others arrived.

“The Crownsguard and hunters are on the lookout for royal tombs while I keep an eye on the Niffs. Report to me if you find anything and feel free to take on any hunts along the way, you could earn yourself some good gil.”

I raised an eyebrow at that as I made my way into the bathroom, pushing the door closed behind me with my hip as I deposited my armful of stuff onto the counter. I wasn’t exactly sure what he meant by hunts but it sounded like I would be able to use my skills to get some much-needed money. The thought was both daunting and intriguing. “Oh you know me, I’m always itching for a good fight.” I chuckled as I shrugged off my robe and tossed it aside.

“I see some things never change. The hunter’s name is Vas Helter, he’ll meet you in front of the Leville in about 2 hours.”

I chuckled as I briefly pulled my phone away from my ear to glance at it and note the time. “2 hours, got it. I’ll be ready.” I fully expected him to hang up then but he hesitated. As I imagined the face he usually made when he was deep in thought, a realization hit me. Cor had lost everything just like the rest of us. His king, his loved ones, his guard, his home. He had even less time to grieve than we did, yet he had to be the strongest of us all. The thought was heartbreaking. Before the pause could go on too long, he spoke up again.

“Good luck, Jaszmin. And I know I don’t need to tell you to be careful out there.”

My grip on my phone tightened and I found that I needed to lean against the bathroom counter for a moment. Cor the Immortal was worrying over me. Although it’s not like he hadn’t shown concern before, it was always a heavy thing for me. “No worries, Marshal, I got this.” He chuckled quietly at that and the sound had me reeling, I’d barely acknowledged the one worded answer he gave me in affirmation before he hung up. I really needed to reign in my inner fangirl.

-*`o0o`*-

After showering and making myself presentable, I found Iris awake and waiting to use the bathroom. She seemed a bit sad when I explained to her why I had to leave but wished me good luck with a hug and a promise to meet me for my “going away breakfast”. “Geez, kid,” I grinned as I reached out to ruffle her already disheveled hair, “It’s not like I’ll never come back.”

I left the hotel room with my bag slung over my shoulder, dead set on getting breakfast before I had to leave. I’d made a vow to myself to never go that long without eating again. As I was leaving I ran into Shon on his way back in. He was without his sling, wearing athletic clothes with his long hair gathered up into a sloppy bun, and he was nearly drenched in sweat, all signs that he’d been out on a morning run. It made me a bit jealous that I didn’t have time for a run myself, although this heat made me somewhat grateful that I couldn’t. “Morning! Did you go for a run or a swim?” He laughed and ran the back of his hand across his forehead, ridding himself of the droplets of sweat that threatened to fall into his eyes.

“Feels like both, the heat is brutal here. Dunno if I’ll ever get used to it. You headed out?”

He gestured to my shoulder bag with just the slightest hint of a pout on his face. It made me feel a little guilty for leaving since I was the only other person he was familiar with here besides his mom. He’d told me last night how they got separated from his dad and his sister and that they hadn’t seen them since. His mom was still holding onto the hope that they’ll turn up in Lestallum one day. Shon seemed to have already let go and accepted them as lost. I sighed and nodded at his question. “Still a Crownsguard and there’s work to be done.” He nodded as well, looking slightly defeated. I knew he wanted to spend more time with me and I was somewhat glad that our time together would be cut short. Shon tended to get a little too enthusiastic about his feelings for me.

“That sucks, but I understand. Good luck out there. I’d hug you goodbye but I’m all…”

He gestured to himself, to the way his sweat covered skin glistened in the morning sun and his sleeveless shirt clung to his athletic body in some dampened spots. I laughed and shook my head before taking a step back and looked at him in mock horror. “Eww, yea I’ll take a rain check on that.” The look he gave me could only be described as the perfect sad puppy face but he couldn’t hold it for long and ended up laughing with me. We both stood there after our laughter quieted down, not exactly sure how to depart now. “I’m seriously happy you made it out, Shon. We’ll definitely see each other around, okay?” I began backing towards the closest outdoor diner, towards the source of the mouthwatering scents wafting in on the light morning breeze, towards the promise of something delicious and filling to stop the quiet snarling of my stomach.

“Count on it.”

With a single nod, I turned away, not missing the odd change in his features. He’d gone from looking mildly defeated to oddly determined and it had me wondering, just what was he planning?

-*`o0o`*-

It was shaping up to be a beautiful day. Not a cloud in the sky with the sounds of children laughing and music being played in front of the fountain at the Leville, painting the atmosphere into something jovial. I sat on the side of the fountain, legs crossed at the ankles and stretched out in front of me as I watched Talcott play with a few of his new friends, a mixture of local and refugee children. While they played what looked like a game of red light, green light, a couple of musicians sat just a few feet away with their drum and guitar, their voices and instruments the perfect background music. Beside me, Iris sat and mirrored my position, her eyes closed and face turned towards the sky with a content smile on her lips.

The sounds of Lestallum were soothing and welcoming and a pleasant reminder that life goes on. No matter what happens, life will always go on. I was too entranced with the scene before me that I hadn’t notice the figure standing beside me until the clearing of a throat commanded my attention.

“Are you Jaszmin?”

Most of the hunters I’d seen so far were short and stocky but this one, while still on the burly side, was taller. I couldn’t help letting my eyes curiously rake over his form, taking in what I could see of his sandy blonde hair peeking out from under a thoroughly worn bandana, dark green eyes, thin nose, and pouty lips that looked a bit out of place amongst the light scruff that decorated the bottom half of his face. He wore what I thought was typical hunter apparel: a sleeveless shirt and what looked like light leather armor covering his broad shoulders and chest, military pants, sturdy but comfy looking boots, and fingerless gloves, all in shades of brown and beige. His skin was tanned, the texture looking just a bit like worn leather from spending most of his time outdoors in the sun, no doubt.

“Yea, that’s me.” I couldn’t help but muse that if Gladio and Ignis were able to procreate, Vas would probably be what the offspring would look like. The silly thought almost made me laugh aloud but if he saw the sudden glint of amusement in my eyes he pretended not to notice. “You must be Vas.”  As I stood up, Iris helped me gather my belongings. The smile on her face was sad as she handed me my jacket and shoulder bag. After mouthing a thank you to her and ruffling her hair again for old time’s sake, I turned my attention back to the hunter.  

“That I am. Heard you’re a good fighter, I’m looking forward to seeing what you can do. Ready to head out?”

His voice was smooth and warm despite his rough appearance and he had that slow, drawling accent that seemed to be native to the citizens of Leide. If I were a lesser woman, I probably would have blushed, especially since the only person capable of relaying compliments to him about my fighting would have been the Marshal. “Let’s hit it.” I answered enthusiastically as I tied my jacket around my waist, slung my bag over my shoulder, and gave one last wave to Iris before we set off towards the parking lot.

-*`o0o`*-

“Hey! Jasz, wait up!”

My hands clenched the strap of my shoulder bag as I turned to watch Shon jog down the stairs to the parking lot, his hair flopping into his face with each step. For a solid second I actually thought about hopping into the passenger side of Vas’ car and telling him to book it but quickly shook the idea from my head, I couldn’t commit such betrayal. With keys in hand, Vas leaned against the driver side door with arms folded across his chest and legs crossed at the ankles, his features hovering between curious and amused.

“Friend of yours?”

I sighed at the tone of his question and took a few steps toward the approaching man. “What’re you doing, Shon?” My narrowed eyes took in his appearance as he stopped in front of me. He looked fresh out of a shower, with his hair still slightly damp and his face freshly shaven. His clothes, though clean and not out of the ordinary, stood out in contrast to both mine and Vas’. The hunter, the Crownsguard, and a civilian. Shon smiled down at me, a sheepish smile, but there was also a stubborn set to his jaw.

“I’m going with you.”

My eyes traveled along the strap across his chest, a shoulder bag similar to mine though mine was a bit darker, something that had me idly wondering if Jared mentioned the Guard’s fondness for dark colors. My attention refocused on Shon’s face as I gave him a searching look. “Do you even know where I’m going, Shon? And what about your mom? You gonna leave her in a strange place all by herself?” He pulled his bottom lip between his teeth as he pondered my questions but I suspected he’d thought this through before running after me, even if only for a fleeting moment.

“I can guess. You’re out of the Crown City but you’re still a Crownsguard. And you, you’re a hunter, right?”

We both glanced at Vas who was watching quietly, the amusement never leaving his face. He nodded at the question but otherwise remained silent, this was my situation to handle. As I turned back to face Shon I couldn’t quite figure out if it annoyed me or made me grateful that he was leaving this up to me. I opened my mouth to remind him of the second part of my questioning but he began speaking again.

“I don’t know your main objective but I know you’ll probably be doing some hunting and I want in. My mom… I can’t just sit around and watch her slowly come to realize that my dad and sister aren’t coming back. And besides, Lestallum’s nice and all but we need money and Exineris only hires women. I don’t think I’d cut it as a street vendor and I’m not letting my mom take a job in a giant furnace while I sit and twiddle my thumbs. C’mon, Minnie, I can help you guys out and earn some Gil.”

After his little speech I took a few seconds to think it over, he had some valid points. But I wasn’t sure how the recruiting process of the hunters went. Vas was already a seasoned hunter from what I could tell and my status as Crownsguard automatically gave me an in. “Vas?” I turned to give him a questioning look but he just shrugged and pushed himself off of the door. He spared Shon one last look before opening his door and sliding into the driver’s seat.

“It’s up to you. We need to get moving, though.”

Yet another sigh left my lips as I furrowed my brows at him and turned back to Shon. “How’re your injuries?” My eyes raked over his shoulder before moving up to his left eye, the bruise around it yellowing and even fading in some spots. He gave me a nonchalant shrug but there was a little hesitation. I guessed that he was healed enough to go on runs but wasn’t fully healed yet. With a huff and a wave of his hand, he dismissed any concerns I had for him.

“I’m completely fine.”

The pure look of pleading in his hazel eyes made me roll my own, he was full on giving me his sad puppy routine again, knowing what it did to me. With a sigh and a nod, I moved towards the passenger side of Vas’ car. “Fine.” I tried to remain serious, he would be putting himself in danger by tagging along, but the celebratory whoop he gave had me cracking a smile.

As I opened the passenger door and adjusted the front seat so that he could climb into the back, I waved him over. Before he could get in, though, I halted him with a firm hand on his chest. “Oh, and Shon? If you ever call me Minnie again I swear to Ramuh I will strap you to the hood of this car and have Vas drive you around the entire dustbowl that is Leide, you got that?” A strained smile spread across his lips as he nodded and waited for me to let him slip into the backseat while Vas chuckled quietly and started the engine. I gave him the sweetest smile I could while I repositioned the front seat and slid into it, taking one last look at Lestallum as the engine started and we drove off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have no excuse as to why I waited so long to post this chapter. None. Sorry! Also, the story has been a bit slow so far but hopefully I can get things to pick up with the next chapter.


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